Two Cupids joined Maddie, the Maddie's Fund mascot and cute dogs for adoption from NYC's Animal Care & Control, on a chilly February day in Times Square to kick off "I Love NYC Pets" month.
"I Love NYC Pets" Month Brings Big Love in Diverse Areas
Adoptions surged in February when "I Love NYC Pets" Month — so dubbed by the Mayor's Alliance and promoted in the media and by dozens of Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs) — drew a spotlight to pet adoptions and made it easier than ever for New Yorkers to find their one (or more!) true love. The month-long celebration — a reprise of last year's successful pet adoption promotion, only bigger and better this year, with more events and more groups participating — drove adoptions by Maddie's Pet Partners up 10 percent over February 2007 numbers, to 1,333 adoptions.
To jump-start "I Love NYC Pets" month, the Mayor's Alliance held a crowd-stopping media event in Times Square on February 8. Models dressed as Cupids and the Maddie's Fund mascot introduced passers-by to dogs for adoption from NYC's Animal Care & Control (AC&C), while photographers and reporters grabbed photos and stories for their publications and news shows.
Throughout the month, weekend adoption hours were extended at AC&C shelters to convenience more New Yorkers looking for their special furry someone. And each weekend, APOs brought cats and dogs for adoption to points throughout the city. The ASPCA's familiar "dog and cat mobile" adoption van was out and about throughout the month. And North Shore Animal League America generously provided adoption vans for nearly a dozen APOs, including NYC's AC&C. (As you'll read in our related article, the Mayor's Alliance will continue to use this model to facilitate more adoption events and greater numbers of adoptions throughout 2008.)
In addition to all the great coverage the promotion received in the media, a dedicated website, www.ILoveNYCPets.com, provided listings of adoption hours for all the participating shelters and rescue groups, dates and locations of all the special adoption events, links to information about shelters and rescue groups in NYC, and information about free and low-cost spay and neuter resources.
The ILoveNYCPets.com website listed extended APO adoption hours and special events to encourage pet adoptions during February.
Because spay and neuter is such an integral part of NYC's journey to become a no-kill city, this year, for the first time ever, the Mayor's Alliance created a free neuter program for male cats — the Tomcat Neuter Clinics. This program, in partnership with NYC's AC&C, about which you can read in detail in our related article, held its debut clinic at the Brooklyn Care Center on February 24 as part of "I Love NYC Pets" month.
KittyKind, an APO that features cats and kittens for adoption at PETCO - Union Square, provided two other important highlights to the adoption celebration. On Saturday, February 9, KittyKind and PETCO jointly held a Valentine's party at the store, where customers and their pets could have their photos taken with the Maddie's Fund mascot and a Cupid (played memorably by KittyKind Volunteer Coordinator Courtney Kistler). Party-goers also created elaborately decorate dog cookies, while others simply enjoyed the afternoon's festivities just hanging out with their dogs.
The following weekend, KittyKind held its first adoption day featuring Extra Special Cats, where senior cats, FIV-positive cats, "wobbly-bobbly" kittens, and other special cats were the stars. A film crew from NY1 was on hand to cover the event, and the spot began airing later in the day. (To read more about KittyKind's Extra Special Program and the special Maddie's Fund grant that has given the program wings, see our related article in this issue.)
KittyKind Volunteer Coordinator Courtney Kistler plays kitty Cupid at their Valentine's party at PETCO on February 9, as Maddie the Maddie's Fund mascot greets guests.
"I Love NYC Pets" month also marked the beginning of an important new relationship for the Mayor's Alliance. In February, the Mayor's Alliance welcomed Weruva, the pet food company, as a new sponsor of the Wheels of Hope transport van program. As part of this sponsorship, throughout 2008, a portion of every sale of Weruva pet food in the New York metropolitan area will be donated to the Mayor's Alliance to fuel this important program that transports animals from NYC's AC&C shelters to other member shelters and rescue groups that will find them homes. The Mayor's Alliance is delighted to receive this important support from Weruva.
If you missed out on finding your new forever love in February, don't worry — every day in NYC there are places you can go to adopt a companion animal. For information about shelters and rescue groups throughout New York City and nearby, visit www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org/adopt.
